A Conversation with Ambassador (Ret.) Raymond Burghardt

Join us for a discussion co-hosted by The Korea Society and Temple University Japan with Ambassador Raymond Burghardt, who served for many years as one of the leading Asian specialists in the U.S. Foreign Service. He was formerly Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) from 2006 to 2016. Previously, he was Ambassador to Vietnam (2001-2004), AIT Director in Taipei (1999-2001), Consul General in Shanghai (1997-1999), Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Manila (1993-1996) and Seoul (1990-1993) and Political Counselor in Beijing (1987-1989). Ambassador Burghardt joins in conversation with Temple University Japan Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies Co-Director Robert Dujarric, senior vice president at Park Strategies Sean King, and Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. 

This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate members and the Korea Foundation.

 

A Conversation with Ambassador (Ret.) Raymond Burghardt 

U.S. relations with Taiwan and America’s Asian allies under Trump 2.0

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | 10:30 AM 


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speaker:

 

Raymond Burghardt served for many years as one of the leading Asian specialists in the U.S. Foreign Service. Currently, he is consultant for the Institute for Defense Analyses, president of Pacific Century Institute, and advisor on Asia to a major US financial company. He was formerly Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) from 2006 to 2016. Prior to that, he was Ambassador to Vietnam (2001-2004), AIT Director in Taipei (1999-2001), Consul General in Shanghai (1997-1999), Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Manila (1993-1996) and Seoul (1990-1993) and Political Counselor in Beijing (1987-1989). Burghardt’s earlier career included an assignment on the National Security Council staff as Special Assistant to President Reagan and Senior Director of Latin American Affairs. From 2006 until December 2012, Burghardt served concurrently with his AIT position as Director of East-West Seminars at the East-West Center in Honolulu.  Burghardt received a B.A. from Columbia College in 1967 and did graduate study at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. He is a native and current resident of New York City.

 

Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation Series on Ethics & Common Values: A Conversation with Ilyon Woo

With the ever-growing need to understand ourselves and humanity as a whole, it is necessary to examine the concepts of morality, ethics and universal values as guiding principles of the human condition. With generous support from Y.T. Hwang Family Foundation, The Korea Society presents a Series on Ethics and Common Values.

This series promotes the understanding of central themes of our human existence – morality, ethics, personal responsibility, compassion and civility – through a series of lectures by distinguished speakers and conversation with extraordinary individuals who exemplify the universal values in line with the mission of Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation and The Korea Society.

The Korea Society and Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation is proud to present Ilyon Woo in a conversation with Ed Park.

 


 This program is made possible by the support from Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation


 

Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation
Series on Ethics & Common Values
A Conversation with Ilyon Woo

Wednesday, April 23, 2024 | 6:30 PM (EDT)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speaker:

Ilyon Woo is the New York Times best-selling author of Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom, which won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Biography.

Time Magazine called Master Slave Husband Wife an “edge-of-your-seat drama”; The Wall Street Journal pronounced it: “A narrative of such courage and resourcefulness it seems too dashing to be true…. a ‘genuine nail-biter.’” It was one of the New York Times’s “10 Best Books of 2023” and People Magazine’s “Top Ten Books of 2023,” also named a best book of the year by The New Yorker, Time, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Boston, Chicago Public Library, and Oprah Daily. A finalist for a Kirkus Prize, the book was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and supported by a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Writing Grant.

Woo is also the author of The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother’s Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and The New York Times. Woo has traveled the country to speak at bookstores, museums, schools, and book festivals, and she has been featured on such programs as NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and CBS Sunday Morning. She holds a BA in the Humanities from Yale College and a PhD in English from Columbia University.

 

About the Moderator:

 
Photo by Sylvia Plachy
 

Ed Park is the author of the novels Same Bed Different Dreams (2023), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Personal Days (2008), a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. His fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s, The Atlantic, Bookforum, McSweeney’s, and many other publications. He is a founding editor of The Believer and the former literary editor of The Village Voice, and has worked in newspapers and book publishing. He currently teaches writing at Princeton University.

 


You May Also Enjoy:

Author Talks: Lee Chang-dong Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation Series on Ethics & Common Values: A Conversation with Minister Kyung-wha Kang Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation Series on Ethics & Common Values: A Conversation with Min Jin Lee Y. T. Hwang Family Foundation Series on Ethics & Common Values Inaugural Lecture by Dr. Jim Yong Kim

Acting and Activism with Minnie Mills

Join us for a conversation on acting and activism with actress and North Korean human rights activist Minnie Mills and Korea Society policy program officer Chelsie Alexandre. Exploring the origin and development of her professional acting career, Minnie discusses roles on “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “Obliterated,” and future projects. She then describes her passion for supporting North Korean refugees through volunteering for the nongovernmental organization Liberty in North Korea (LiNK). How does she balance work with school and volunteering? What has she learned from North Korean refugees? An introduction is provided by Dr. Victor Cha, Distinguished University Professor, Georgetown University, and President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department, CSIS.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Kim Koo Foundation.

 

 

 

Acting and Activism with Minnie Mills

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | 4 PM (EDT)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speakers:

 

Actress Celine “Minnie” Mills is best known for her role as ‘Shayla’ in the hit Amazon Prime Video series THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY. She now stars as ‘Jen’ in Sony Pictures Television Studios and Netflix’s action-comedy series OBLITERATED, and voices the lead role ‘Ruby / Venus’ in the rom-com podcast series DUMP HIM!

In addition to acting, Minnie has been a lifelong advocate for North Korean Human Rights, working closely with the organization Liberty in North Korea. She currently works under Ambassador Julie Turner at the State Department and was recently appointed Goodwill Messenger. Minnie also studies Behavioral Neuroscience at Columbia University.

 

 

 

Victor Cha is president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is also a distinguished university professor and professor of government at Georgetown University. In 2021, he was appointed by the Biden administration to serve on the Defense Policy Board in an advisory role to the secretary of defense. From 2004 to 2007, he served on the National Security Council (NSC), where he was responsible for Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations. Dr. Cha was the U.S. deputy head of delegation at the Six Party Talks and received two Outstanding Service Commendations during his tenure at the NSC. He is the author of eight books, including the award-winning Alignment Despite Antagonism: The United States–Korea–Japan Security Triangle (Stanford University Press, 1999), which won the 2000 Ohira Book Prize; The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future (Ecco, 2012), selected by Foreign Affairs as a “Best Book on the Asia-Pacific for 2012”; Powerplay: Origins of the American Alliance System in Asia (Princeton University Press, 2018); Korea: A New History of South and North (Yale University Press, 2023); and The Black Box: Demystifying the Study of Korean Unification and North Korea (Columbia University Press, 2024). Dr. Cha is a two-time Fulbright scholar and a former Olin Fellow at Harvard University, as well as a former Hoover, Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), and Koret fellow at Stanford University. He currently serves on the editorial boards of ten academic journals and is coeditor of the Contemporary Asia book series at Columbia University Press. He serves on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy and is a senior fellow at the George W. Bush Institute. Dr. Cha received his PhD, MIA, and BA from Columbia University and a BA with honors from Oxford University.

Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes

Sarah Ahn’s viral food videos featuring her mother Nam Soon Ahn have captivated millions of viewers with their behind-the-scenes look at Korean cooking and multigenerational home life. Their latest collaboration is a must-have cookbook Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes, which captures the flavors, traditions, and stories of Korean cooking. The recipes are framed by mother-daughter conversations that are funny, profound, and universally relatable—plus all the food is backed by the recipe-testing power of America’s Test Kitchen.

In a conversation with Eric Kim of the New York Times, Sarah and Nam Soon Ahn discuss their debut cookbook.

 

 

Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes

Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EDT)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speakers:

 

Sarah Ahn is America’s Test Kitchens social media manager and the creator of the Ahnest Kitchen website. She records her experiences on Instagram and TikTok of living with her Korean immigrant parents, chronicling her mother’s cooking, grocery shopping trips, and more. Many of Sarah’s posts have gone viral with 10+ million views and they have sold grocery stores out of product. She has been featured on NBC News, ABC News, Yahoo News, and Good Morning America. Nam Soon Ahn, her mother, is a former restaurateur whose culinary wisdom and recipes form the foundation of this book. Together, they honor their heritage with love, flavor, and authenticity.

 

About the Moderator:

 

Eric Kim is a New York Times staff writer and essayist born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. His debut cookbook, Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home, was an instant New York Times Best Seller. A former digital manager for the Food Network and contributing editor for Saveur magazine, he now hosts regular videos on NYT Cooking’s YouTube channel and writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine.


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Banchan with Caroline Choe – In Conversation with Marja Vongerichten The Philosophy of Korean Tea Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home with Eric Kim

Andrew Ahn: A Director’s Talk

Photo by Janice Chung

This spring, from director Andrew Ahn comes The Wedding Banquet, a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating the disasters and delights of family expectations, queerness, and cultural identity. With a pitch-perfect cast of multigenerational talent that includes Bowen Yang, Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen, and Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-Jung, this fresh reimagining of Ang Lee’s beloved, award-winning rom-com teems with humor and heart in a poignant reminder that being part of a family means learning to both accept and forgive.

Join us for a conversation with Andrew Ahn about his latest film and his career.

 

 

Andrew Ahn: A Director’s Talk

Thursday, April 3, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EDT)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speaker:

Andrew Ahn is a Korean American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Ahn’s latest film The Wedding Banquet starring Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Kelly Marie Tran premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. His previous film Fire Island was nominated for two Emmy Awards and won the Ensemble Tribute at the 2023 Gotham Awards and a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Film Streaming/TV. Ahn’s sophomore feature Driveways premiered at the 2019 Berlinale and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Screenplay and Best Lead Actress for Hong Chau. Ahn’s first film Spa Night premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. The film went on to win the 2017 John Cassavetes Film Independent Spirit Award.

Ahn has directed both fiction and documentary television, including Bridgerton and Generation. He has promoted diversity in the arts by mentoring youth filmmakers through programs like Pacific Arts Movement’s Reel Voices, Outfest’s OutSet, and the Sundance Institute’s Native Filmmaker Lab. He graduated from Brown University and received an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).


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The South Korean Film Industry with Sangjoon Lee, Dal Yong Jin, and Jason Bechervaise Concrete Utopia: A Director’s Talk The Films of Kim Ki-young Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema with Karen Han

Unlocking Korea’s Tech Potential – Strengthening U.S. Investment and Innovation

Korea’s thriving tech industry—driven by global brands and cutting-edge innovation—continues to attract substantial foreign investment, even as the regulatory landscape evolves. Korea’s recent proposed online platform regulations have drawn significant attention for its impacts on major tech companies and the broader competitive landscape in the country’s technologically advanced market.

To tackle these developments and their implications for US-Korea’s tech investment relations, this program will convene a panel with experts across both U.S. and Korean tech industries that will share their valuable firsthand insights and perspectives on critical matters such as key factors and challenges of investing within Korea’s regulatory framework, as well as policy measures and incentives that could further strengthen Korea’s strengths as a premier destination for U.S. investment.


 

Co-hosted with:

 

Unlocking Korea’s Tech Potential – Strengthening U.S. Investment and Innovation

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 | 12:00 PM (EDT)

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Scott Jacobs, Head of Public Policy, Global Government Affairs, Coupang

Scott Jacobs is currently Head of Public Policy, Global Government Affairs at Coupang, a U.S. technology and Fortune 200 company (NYSE: CPNG) that provides retail, restaurant delivery, video streaming, and fintech services to customers around the world under brands that include Coupang, Coupang Eats, Coupang Play, and Farfetch. Previously, Mr. Jacobs was a Senior Manager for Trade and Social Responsibility at Amazon, where he led the company’s public policy work and partnerships on human rights, anticorruption, supply chains, U.S.-China trade, and other economic security issues.

Prior to joining Amazon, Scott Jacobs was a Vice President at Albright Stonebridge Group, a leading international consulting firm led by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, where he advised multinational clients including Fortune 500s, global investors, foundations, and non-profits on government affairs and business strategy.

In the Obama administration, Mr. Jacobs served in the Office of the United States Trade Representative as Confidential Assistant to the Deputy USTR before being selected to join Ambassador Ron Kirk’s staff as an Advisor and acting Director of the Executive Secretariat. In these roles, he focused on policy and trade matters related to Europe and the Middle East, Western Hemisphere, intellectual property, and small business market access.

Previously, Mr. Jacobs worked in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, where he assisted with special projects and produced weekly reports for then Vice President Joe Biden’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) task force.

Ji Hyun Lee, Economic Research Lead, AWS

Ji Hyun Lee is a seasoned economist with expertise in international economics. She currently serves as the Economic Research Lead at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Washington, D.C., where she leads research on the economic impact of AWS’s global business operations. Ji Hyun has played a pivotal role in the company’s expansion, developing innovative research products, including studies on the downstream economic impact of cloud adoption, AIML adoption, and the economic and environmental impacts of AWS’s energy-related investments.

Before joining AWS, Ji Hyun served as a Director of Quantitative Analytics and Data Science at Gartner, where she guided C-level executives using research driven by advanced analytics and econometric models, while also leading sustainability and ESG initiatives. Her career includes significant roles at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea, where she contributed to shaping South Korea’s “Low Carbon, Green Growth Vision.” Ji Hyun holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in International Economics & International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, as well as M.A. and B.A. degrees from Seoul National University.

Lilla Nora Kiss, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Analyst, Antitrust & Innovation Policy, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
(ITIF)

Lilla Nóra Kiss, PhD is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Schumpeter Project on Competition Policy. Her research focuses on international antitrust law and innovation policy, with a focus on digital platforms.

Lilla also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at the Global Antitrust Institute of Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University. Lilla instructs students in Antitrust Law and Consumer Protection Law in the LLM in Global Antitrust Law & Economics program.


ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

Tami Overby, Senior Counselor, Albright Stonebridge Group

Tami Overby is a Senior Counselor at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, a founding member of DGA Group, and is based in Washington, D.C. She draws on more than three decades of experience working in Asia to advise clients on investment and trade issues in South Korea and across the region.

Ms. Overby most recently served as Senior Director at McLarty Associates. Previously, she was Senior Vice President for Asia and President of the U.S.-Korea Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In the latter role, she represented U.S. businesses during negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), directed the Chamber’s work with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and helped companies navigate market access and investment issues throughout the region.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Overby spent 14 years as President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, where she helped grow the bilateral trade relationship and supported the completion and ratification of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. She currently sits on the boards of the Korea Society, the U.S.-Asia Institute and the Korea Economic Institute.

Ms. Overby received her B.S. in business administration and management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

 

The Flow of Ink and Color: A Journey of Korean Ink Painting by Sunglim Kim

In this lecture, Professor Sunglim Kim explores the history of ink painting in Korea, and examines its origin and development, both in the past and the present. |
Hemyeong Kim Seongheui Constellation Links | 

In this lecture, Professor Sunglim Kim explores the history of ink painting in Korea, and examines its origin and development, both in the past and the present.

 

The Flow of Ink and Color: A Journey of Korean Ink Painting by Sunglim Kim

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EDT)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speaker:

 

Sunglim Kim is an associate professor of Korean art and culture at Dartmouth College. She specializes in the material and consumer culture of the late Joseon period and women artists in modern and contemporary Korea.


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Korean Peninsula Update with the NK News Team

Join us for a discussion on the latest developments in Korea, including domestic politics north and south of the 38th parallel, inter-Korean relations, US-North Korea developments, Russia’s role, and more, featuring team members from NK News, including Chad O’Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of Korea Risk Group, Jeongmin Kim, Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at Korea Pro, Colin Zwirko, Senior Analytic Correspondent for NK News, and Shreyas Reddy, Lead Correspondent at NK News. This program is moderated by The Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado.

This program is made possible by the generous support of our individual and corporate members and the Korea Foundation.
 

 

Korean Peninsula Update with the NK News Team

Monday, March 17, 2025 | 12 PM (EDT)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speakers:

 

Chad O’Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group’s CEO, O’Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.

 

 

Jeongmin Kim is a Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at KOREA PRO, based in Seoul. Kim covers inter-Korean relations and North and South Korean foreign and military affairs. Kim has covered the 2022 ROK presidential election on the ground, and prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau.

 

 

Shreyas Reddy is the Lead Correspondent at NK News, based in Seoul. He previously worked as a researcher at BBC Monitoring, where his work focused on news and key people and organizations from the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

 

 

Colin Zwirko is a Senior Analytic Correspondent for NK News based in Seoul. He joined the company in 2018 after receiving a master’s degree in international security and foreign policy from South Korea’s Yonsei University.

Women in Food Business

As the food and hospitality industry continues to evolve and grow, the Asian faces in it have also become more visible. Despite the progress, there are still long-standing obstacles that women face both in and out of kitchen and business culture. Meet Korean-American women running their own successful food and hospitality business and contributing their perspective and approaches to proactively change the industry.

In this conversation, chef and writer Caroline Choe speaks with 4 brand and establishment owners and proprietors based in the NYC / NJ area on their experiences: Hannah Bae of Noona’s Ice Cream, Julia Choi-Rodriguez of Vesta Chocolate, Alice Jun of Hana Makgeolli, Jee Kim of 8282. Also joining will be hospitality lawyer Vivian Chen, who represents many businesses and brands throughout New York City.

 

Women in Food Business

Thursday, March 6, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EST)


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


About the Speakers:

 

Hannah Bae is a native of Queens, New York where she grew up among creative Asian-American culinary delights, and developed a particular affinity for American ice cream. After working as a pastry chef and in operations management, Bae founded Noona’s Ice Cream in 2016 after winning NYC’s annual ice cream contest held by Hester Street Fair. All Noona’s recipes celebrate Asian American stories and global food experiences with others.

 
 

Vivian Chen started her career as a corporate attorney before starting a law firm, Chen and Lahey LLP, where she served as “in-house counsel on demand” for small to mid-size businesses and advised high net worth individuals. She has also worked as the Chief Operating Officer of LUCKYRICE where she identified her passion for food, the importance of experiential marketing, structural organization and operations. Through her private practice, Vivian Chen Legal Consulting PLLC, Chen volunteers pro-bono to help many former and new hospitality clients get through the pandemic. Additionally, she was the lawyer that formed Heart of Dinner, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that started at the beginning of the pandemic which donates food to the elderly Asian American community in New York and the outer boroughs. She is the lawyer to over 60 prominent restaurants and chefs nationwide including Atomix, Atoboy, Naro, Nom Wah, Jungsik, SEA, Fish Cheeks, Bangkok Supper Club, Kimbap Lab, Kochi, and Mari to name a few. In 2024, she launched a hospitality management company called Chinatown Hospitality Group.

 
 

Julia Choi-Rodriguez is a long-time creator in the culinary world, first working in advertising on major food brands, then as a pastry chef for top restaurants who turned food stylist. After working as an account executive for major brands such as Baskin Robbins, Quiznos and Bonefish grill, she enrolled in the baking and pastry program at Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and upon graduation worked for a few years as a pastry chef at top New York City restaurants including Gramercy Tavern, Jean-Georges, and Bouchon Bakery. From there she decided to branch out on her own into food styling by starting her own business, Baby One More Bite, whose clients included some of the most recognizable brands including, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Guinness, KRAFT, and Food Network. Julia founded Vesta Chocolate, a place where small batch craft chocolate can be applied to everyday goods, with her husband Roger.

 
 

Alice Jun is the founder and brewer of Hana Makgeolli, the first traditional Korean rice wine brewery in the United States, based in Brooklyn, NY. A passionate advocate for authentic Korean food and drink, Alice launched Hana Makgeolli in September 2020 as a way to honor and expand on the homebrewing techniques passed down by her father. Her work is rooted in the belief that traditionally crafted Korean sool (alcoholic beverages) possesses unparalleled depth—in its history, artistry, and flavor—deserving recognition as a world-class category. Through brewing and education, Alice continues to inspire a deeper appreciation for the cultural and culinary heritage of Korean sool.

 
 

Jee Young Kim is a dynamic professional with a background in brand development and hospitality. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she specialized in venture capital and real estate, and a B.A. in Art History & French from New York University. Jee is the Co-Founder and Director of Operations at Lion Hospitality LLC, where she launched 8282, a modern Korean dining restaurant that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2023 and 2024. A dedicated advocate for social responsibility, Jee played a key role in expanding employment opportunities for disabled individuals within her family company, contributing to its recognition as an Outstanding Firm for Disabled Employment for 15 consecutive years. With a passion for projects that create meaningful impact, Jee continues to work at the intersection of business, real estate, hospitality, and social good.

 

About the Moderator:

 

Caroline Choe is a chef, artist, teacher and writer based in New York City, and is a proud daughter of Korean American immigrants. After a long career in education, she continued her journey into a culinary and creative career. She recently published her debut cookbook, Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides, which was named as one of the 26 Best Cookbooks for 2024 by Serious Eats. She is also the founder of Create & Plate, a business devoted to helping create community through arts and food education. Both she and her work have been featured in Food & Wine, NPR, Food52, Glamour, NY1, NBC’s Today Show, and Good Morning America.


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Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, and Longevity Michelle Jungmin Bang with Kathleen Kim Banchan with Caroline Choe – In Conversation with Marja Vongerichten The Philosophy of Korean Tea

Author Talks: Lee Chang-dong

Author Photo: Oh Jung-mi

“Lee Chang-dong is a master storyteller of any form. This collection of his early works gives a deep, stark look at human stories from a Korea not too long ago. A gift to read.” —Steven Yeun, Academy Award nominee for Best Actor

Lee Chang-dong is one of South Korea’s most celebrated and influential directors. Known internationally for his films Burning, Secret Sunshine, and Poetry, Lee’s work is characterized by his meticulous eye for detail and his exploration of social issues and complex characters. Before turning to screenwriting and directing, Lee began his career as a writer of short fiction and novels. SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES, translated into English for the first time by Yoosup Chang and Heinz Insu Fenkl, is a brilliant and unsettling collection that investigates themes of love, injustice, betrayal, and terror—on both an intimate and national scale.

Originally published in Korea in the 1980s, and drawn from the author’s own experiences, the stories in SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES are haunting and deeply moving. As he does in his films, Lee dives deep into the mundane and the quiet, revealing our collective underlying pain, loneliness, and profound longing. In stunning prose, Lee moves swiftly between explorations of conflicts between family and memory, the powerful and the vulnerable, the rich and the poor, and conformists and rebels. The stories are visceral, contemplative, and thought-provoking. How is family memory preserved? How does danger and violence reverberate across generations?

In this episode of Author Talks, Lee Chang-dong discusses the English translation of his short stories.

 

Author Talks: Lee Chang-dong

Thursday, February 27, 2025


The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

 

 


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